me, myself And i...A Look At Assam From The Bottom Up

Silchar, April 27 : The 12-hour bandh called by Yuba Ayikya Manch, a platform of several student and youth organisations in south Assam’s Hailakandi district, evoked mixed response.

The Manch has demanded more police deployment in the state to secure the release of a kidnapped small shop-owner in the district’s Katlicherra block along the border with Mizoram.

The shop-owner, Jakir Hossain Laskar, 31, was whisked away into the dense jungles from Gallacherra village by an 11-member squad of the gunmen.

The bandh was a success in Katlicherra and Hailakandi town , it could not make any impact in Lala township where many shops were open.

Barring a few minor incidents, the day passed off peacefully. The police had chased away a few goons who wanted to forcefully close down some of the shops in Lala town this morning, the police said today.

At least 10 people, all bandh supporters, were taken into custody in connection with bandh-related incidents, said Hailakandi superintendent of police Hemanta Bhattacharjee, district.

A passenger train was stopped by the bandh supporters in Jamira in southern Hailakandi. The train started from Badarpur railway junction and was on its way to Bhairabi in Mizoram.

The police sources today said the abduction of Laskar was masterminded by the United Democratic Liberation Army (UDLA), a militant outfit in the district.

The outfit’s leader, Sishuram Reang, today said his group was involved in this abduction, the police said